1. Technical Field
This invention relates to fishing rods and, more particularly, to an illuminable fishing rod.
2. Prior Art
Fishing is an activity that draws avid enthusiasts, many of whom can not seem to be satisfied in limiting their enjoyment to daylight hours. Oftentimes, their expeditions will take them well past sunset, to the point of complete darkness. Unless the fisherman has a light source, such as a lantern or flashlight, further fishing would be almost futile. Besides not being able to string a line or bait a hook, one could not detect the subtle movement of the line or rod tip which provides important visual cues to the fisherman to be able to catch fish. Also, without a flashlight, a fisherman who stays past dusk may have trouble negotiating his return from the water in darkness.
To overcome the problem of rod visibility, a number of illuminated fishing poles have been known. The use of lighted fishing rod structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, lighted fishing rod structures heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Some of these have included an exterior light source mounted on the rod or a light source in the handle illuminating the rod. These solutions have, however, been found lacking. The light sources mounted externally on the rods often interfere with casting and free line movement. The illumination sources within the handles often result in incomplete or inadequate illumination of the rod. In addition, with either of these solutions, a separate light source is still required for the general tasks within the boat, as noted above.
Furthermore, in order to obtain a lighted fishing rod, sports enthusiasts are required to purchase an entirely new rod, which can become quite expensive since most fisherman like to use more than one rod when fishing. Most attachable light sources are bulky and tend to interfere with the travel path of the fishing line.
Accordingly, a need remains for an illuminable fishing rod in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an illuminable fishing rod that is easy to use, adaptable to a variety of fishing rods, and can be used during low visibility conditions. In order to detect a striking fish, the fisherman must look at the tip of the fishing rod for subtle movements indicating the presence of a fish. This task is difficult enough as it is, but becomes virtually impossible during the dusk and dawn hours of the day, which consequently are optimal feeding times for many fish species. The illuminable fishing rod conveniently allows a fisherman to detect a strike before a fish releases the bait or breaks the line during poor lighting conditions. Such an illuminable fishing rod further eliminates the need to carry around other bulky light sources, like lanterns and flashlights, that also tend to attract mosquitoes and other biting insects when used.